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Marcia Kish
  • Home
  • Field Guide
  • AI Starter Kit
  • Blog
  • Store
  • Workshops
    • Data-Driven with MAP
    • Small Group Workshop
    • AI Workshop
    • Data-Driven Small Groups Made Easy
    • Student Engagement Workshop
    • Field Guide Coaching Series
    • Getting Started with Learning Studios
    • Coaching With Marcia Kish
    • Choice Board and Checklist for the Win
    • XR in the Classroom

Day 28: AI as a Design Partner

10/22/2025

6 Comments

 
Teachers are designers at heart. Every day, they craft learning experiences, build systems that meet student needs, and solve challenges on the fly. But creative work takes time—and time is the one thing educators never seem to have enough of.
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That’s where AI steps in—not as a replacement, but as a design partner. Imagine having a brainstorming buddy available 24/7 to help you reimagine a lesson, generate student examples, or modify materials for different levels of learners. With the right prompts, AI can turn your planning sessions into moments of creativity and innovation—helping you design smarter, faster, and with renewed energy.
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Why It Matters

Teachers are designers — constantly crafting lessons, creating resources, and personalizing learning experiences. But lesson planning, differentiation, and communication can feel endless during a busy school week.
That’s where AI becomes a powerful design partner.
Designing engaging, standards-aligned activities takes hours of brainstorming and revision. With AI, teachers can instantly generate frameworks, modify content for different readiness levels, and visualize ideas before bringing them to life in the classroom.
  • For teachers, AI becomes a co-designer — helping brainstorm lesson ideas, refine scaffolds, and adapt plans in minutes.
  • For students, AI-informed lessons become more engaging, inclusive, and personalized.
  • For leaders, supporting teachers with AI design tools can boost creativity, collaboration, and consistency across classrooms.
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AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and MagicSchool.ai make creative design doable. They help educators draft lessons, build rubrics, reword directions, or even create visuals — all while maintaining the teacher’s unique style and professional voice.
AI doesn’t replace teacher expertise; it amplifies it.
By turning routine design tasks into quick creative sessions, teachers can spend more time focusing on how students experience learning, not just how lessons are delivered

Daily Challenge

Pick one teaching challenge—something that usually takes too much time or energy.
Then, invite AI to be your design partner:
  • Lesson Design: “Help me plan a 45-minute lesson on comparing fractions with hands-on activities.”
  • Parent Communication: “Draft a friendly newsletter update about our upcoming unit.”
  • Classroom Problem: “Generate ideas to help students stay on task during small-group work.”
Reflect: How did AI enhance your design thinking or save you time?
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Daily Download

Teachers are innovators, constantly designing lessons, scaffolds, and systems that meet student needs.
AI can act as a design partner—helping educators plan, problem-solve, and create with more speed, creativity, and confidence.
Use this download to explore how AI can support design thinking across classrooms, teams, and schools.
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.

Bonus AI Prompts

🧑‍🏫 For Teachers
  • “Act as a lesson design partner. Help me redesign my upcoming [subject/topic] lesson to include more hands-on and collaborative elements.”
  • “Generate three creative ways to differentiate this lesson for students who are above, at, and below grade level.”
  • “I need to create a digital station activity that reinforces [concept]. Suggest a structure, directions, and quick reflection question.”
  • “Help me draft an engaging hook and closure for a 45-minute lesson on [topic].”
  • “Turn this worksheet into a blended learning experience with small-group, independent, and digital components.”

🧭 For Instructional Coaches
  • “You are an instructional coach helping a teacher design a lesson that aligns with UDL principles. Suggest how AI could support the planning and differentiation process.”
  • “Create three coaching questions that help teachers reflect on how AI can enhance their design process.”
  • “Generate a 30-minute professional learning activity to introduce teachers to AI as a design partner.”
  • “Draft a follow-up reflection form teachers can use after trying AI for lesson design.”
  • “Outline a PLC discussion plan on the benefits and challenges of using AI in lesson creation.”

🏫 For Administrators
  • “Write a short newsletter blurb highlighting how teachers are using AI as a design partner to save planning time.”
  • “Generate ideas for a 10-minute faculty meeting spotlight to share an example of AI-enhanced lesson design.”
  • “Draft talking points for introducing AI as a professional design assistant to staff in a supportive, non-intimidating way.”
  • “Create an outline for a staff PD session on how AI can streamline lesson planning, communication, and creative collaboration.”
  • “Provide three ways to encourage a culture of experimentation with AI tools across the campus.”

Next Steps

Share one way your “design partner” helped lighten your workload using #Kish30DayAIChallenge — and inspire others to create smarter, not harder.
​
💡 Want more design-ready ideas?
Explore the AI in the Classroom Starter Kit — packed with practical prompts, templates, and examples that show how teachers, coaches, and leaders can use AI to plan, differentiate, and design with purpose.
👉 Grab your copy here
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6 Comments

Day 27: AI as a Differentiator: Designing for All Learners

10/21/2025

6 Comments

 
One of my favorite things to share with teachers is the raw data from any assessment—but especially from MAP Growth. On the surface, the data looks simple: numbers, columns, and averages. But when we start to dig deeper, the story unfolds.
The screenshots below show what happens when we truly look at the numbers. In a single class, a teacher might have students performing four years below grade level, others right on target, and a few working five years ahead. Suddenly, those columns of data transform into individual learners with vastly different needs.
That’s the reality of today’s classrooms—and it’s why differentiation and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) are so essential. Scores aren’t just numbers; they’re insights into how we, as educators, need to push, extend, and reinforce learning for all students—not just the ones who struggle.

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Every classroom is filled with learners who think, process, and demonstrate understanding in unique ways. Differentiation isn’t new—but now, it’s finally easier to do well. With AI, teachers can design lessons that reach every student, no matter their starting point.
AI tools help educators bring the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to life—providing multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression. Whether you’re simplifying a reading passage, creating audio versions of text, or generating extension projects for gifted students, AI can make personalized and accessible learning scalable and sustainable.

Sample MAP Data Points

Why It Matters

Differentiation and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) aren’t just best practices — they’re research-based approaches proven to improve access, engagement, and outcomes for all learners. According to CAST’s UDL framework, effective instruction provides multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression so every student can learn in ways that match their strengths and needs.
The challenge? Time.
Creating multiple versions of lessons, scaffolds, or assessments can feel impossible during a busy school week. That’s where AI becomes a game-changer.
AI tools like Diffit.me, Eduaide.ai, and MagicSchool.ai make differentiation doable. They help teachers quickly adapt texts, generate enrichment tasks, translate materials, and design inclusive activities that align with UDL principles — without starting from scratch.
AI doesn’t replace the teacher’s judgment; it amplifies it. By automating routine adjustments, teachers can spend more time focusing on how students learn, not just what they learn.
  • For students, AI differentiation tools create access — offering content that meets their readiness level and learning preference.
  • For teachers, AI supports planning — providing instant variations of lessons, scaffolds, and enrichment ideas that make instruction more inclusive.
  • For leaders, AI fosters equity — ensuring all learners, from those needing reinforcement to those ready for challenge, are seen and supported.
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When we pair the research behind UDL with the power of AI, we move from one-size-fits-all to designed-for-all. That’s how differentiation becomes less about extra work — and more about better design.

Daily Challenge

Pick one lesson or activity you’ve already created and use AI tools like Diffit.me, Eduaide.ai, or MagicSchool.ai to make it more accessible and inclusive.
Try one of these approaches:
  • Simplify: Use Diffit.me to instantly adjust a passage, article, or set of directions to multiple reading levels.
  • Enrich: Open Eduaide.ai and ask it to extend your lesson with higher-order thinking questions or creative application tasks for advanced learners.
  • Adapt: Use MagicSchool.ai to generate visual supports, translated versions, or scaffolded steps that help all learners engage with the content.
  • Personalize: Combine with ChatGPT or Brisk Teaching to create tailored feedback or alternative products aligned with Universal Design for Learning.
💬 Reflect: How did AI help you design a more inclusive learning experience today?
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Daily Download

Today’s download includes:
✅ A 3-column differentiation planner (Emerging | Developing | Enrichment)
✅ Example AI prompts for adapting lessons
✅ A UDL-aligned checklist for lesson design
✅ A list of accessibility-focused tools and extensions
This resource helps teachers move from “one-size-fits-all” to designed-for-all instruction.
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.

Bonus Prompts

Copy and paste these to try today:
  • “Differentiate this reading passage for students below, on, and above grade level.”
  • “Create visuals or audio supports to make this concept more accessible.”
  • “Write enrichment questions that push beyond the standard for advanced learners.”
  • “Revise this lesson using UDL principles for multiple means of engagement.”

Next Steps: Turn AI Insights into Action

AI tools make differentiation possible—but data makes it powerful.
When teachers understand how to translate assessment data (like MAP Growth) into actionable small groups, learning becomes intentional, targeted, and equitable.
If you’re ready to move beyond exploring tools and start deploying data-driven differentiation, join one of our upcoming Data-Driven Small Groups Made Easy workshops.
You’ll learn how to:
✅ Use assessment data to identify learning ranges (emerging, developing, enrichment)
✅ Design flexible groups that evolve with formative data
✅ Leverage AI tools like Diffit, Eduaide, and MagicSchool to create tiered tasks and materials instantly
✅ Build student ownership with routines that make small-group learning sustainable all year long
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Ready to make your data actionable?
Visit BlendedLearningPD.com/DataDriven to explore upcoming workshop dates, free templates, and coaching options.
Let’s make data-driven differentiation not just possible—but easy.
6 Comments

Reignite Engagement: What Student Ownership Looks Like Today

10/20/2025

2 Comments

 
Walk into any classroom today, and you’ll see devices, digital tools, and more data than ever before. Yet, even with all this technology, the most powerful driver of student success remains the same: ownership.
When students take charge of their learning — setting goals, tracking progress, and reflecting on growth — they’re not just participating in schoolwork. They’re invested in it.
Ownership transforms “I have to do this” into “I get to do this.”
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Why Student Ownership Still Matters

Decades of research and classroom evidence tell us that engagement is not about entertainment — it’s about empowerment.
Student ownership:
  • Builds confidence through visible progress.
  • Encourages intrinsic motivation instead of compliance.
  • Promotes deeper understanding and critical thinking.
  • Prepares learners for self-directed success beyond the classroom.
Even as AI reshapes how we teach and assess, it can’t replace the human drive that comes from having agency over one’s learning journey.

The Three Indicators of Ownership in Action

1. Choice:  
Choice doesn’t mean chaos — it means clarity.
When students choose how to demonstrate understanding, whether through a video reflection, a digital project, or an AI-generated summary, they begin to see learning as something they create, not just consume.
The sample photo showcases how an 8th-grade ELA teacher cut apart an activity sheet and placed the questions into paper bags. During the Independent Learning Studio, students choose which questions they want to answer—giving them voice and choice while reinforcing the same standards taught in the small-group studio. This simple strategy keeps students engaged, accountable, and empowered to take ownership of their learning.
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Photo of Ms. H's 8th Grade ELA Classroom from Lamar Junior High in Lamar CISD
2. Voice
Voice gives students permission to question, adapt, and innovate.
When they reflect on what’s working (and what’s not), teachers gain authentic feedback that drives improvement in real time.
One of the most powerful ways to bring student voice to life is through small-group instruction. In this example, the teacher invites students to analyze a story and then reimagine it by adding a plot twist—giving them creative control over the narrative. Throughout the discussion, students are encouraged to ask questions, challenge ideas, and even reshape the lesson’s direction.
I also love how this teacher integrates AI-generated higher-order thinking questions to deepen comprehension and spark conversation. Notice the hands-on sorting activity students completed at the start of the lesson; it primed them for critical discussion and made their thinking visible.
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Photo of Ms. H's 8th Grade ELA Classroom from Lamar Junior High in Lamar CISD
3. Goal-Setting
Ownership flourishes when students can see their path forward.
Checklists, progress trackers, and MAP growth goals help make learning visible — showing students not just where they are, but where they’re going.
In this 8th-grade math classroom, students are using MAP data and goal-setting stems to create individualized SMART goals. With support from AI tools, they refine academic targets that are specific, measurable, and personally meaningful. This process empowers every student to take ownership of their growth, celebrate small wins, and track improvement over time.  

Grab a copy of our MAP Goal Stem Cards — designed to help every learner set meaningful, measurable goals. Each card aligns with MAP growth levels (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, and Blue) so teachers can guide students in creating the right goals for their zone of development. Empower growth for all learners by setting goals that truly fit their needs.

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8th Grade Math Classroom at Lamar JR High in Lamar CISD. 

Where AI Meets Ownership

AI tools don’t replace ownership — they amplify it.
When used intentionally, AI helps teachers save time on prep so they can focus on coaching students toward autonomy. Tools like Diffit, Eduaide, and Brisk give learners differentiated content, but the magic happens when students use those tools to self-reflect, revise, and refine their own learning process.
“AI can personalize content, but ownership personalizes the experience.”
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Strategies to Reignite Engagement This Week

Introduce a Learning Checklist.
  • Empower students to track what they’ve mastered and what’s next. Checklists promote independence, self-monitoring, and accountability. Explore our sample checklist in the [blog post] or visit our [store] for ready-to-use templates.
Start Daily Reflection Routines.
  • Encourage reflection with simple sentence stems like: “Today I learned…” or “Tomorrow I need help with…” Build habits of self-awareness and goal setting. Explore our blog post on AI as a Reflection Tool for free downloads and AI-generated reflection prompts.
Use Studio Rotations.
  • ​Blend small-group instruction, digital content, and independent practice to give students structure and autonomy. Studio rotations promote differentiation and engagement. Visit Blended Learning in Action to learn more about how studios transform classrooms.​
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Celebrate Student Experts.
  • Invite learners to lead mini-lessons or support peers. This simple strategy builds confidence, accountability, and ownership. Download a free set of Studio Expert Cards to launch this strategy in your classroom today.
Incorporate AI Reflection Tools.
  • Enhance reflection with digital tools like SlidesMania journals, Padlet boards, or goal trackers supported by AI prompts. These tools help students think deeper and track progress meaningfully. Explore our AI as a Reflection Tool blog post for free downloads and ready-to-use AI prompts.

Purchase:
​The 12 Elements of Student Engagement & Ownership Field Guide

Ready to make student ownership the center of your classroom again?
Grab your free copy of the 12 Elements of Student Engagement & Ownership Field Guide — filled with real examples, templates, and reflection tools you can use tomorrow.
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Day 26: AI as a Reflection Tool

10/19/2025

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Reflection often becomes the first thing to drop from our to-do lists in the rush of teaching, coaching, and leading. Yet reflection is where growth truly happens — for both educators and students.
Research consistently shows that structured reflection enhances learning and performance. John Dewey famously noted that “We do not learn from experience... we learn from reflecting on experience.” More recent studies support this idea: meta-analyses by Hattie (2023) highlight that self-reported grades and self-regulation — both rooted in reflective practices — have some of the highest effect sizes on student achievement (1.33 and 0.75, respectively).
AI can help turn reflection from a once-in-a-while activity into a regular, actionable habit. Whether you’re guiding students to set learning goals, analyzing classroom data after a unit, or completing a school walkthrough, AI tools can help you capture insights, summarize trends, and generate next steps in seconds.
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By removing the barrier of time and organization, AI allows reflection to become part of the daily learning cycle — empowering teachers to adjust instruction, students to take ownership, and leaders to make informed decisions that drive continuous growth.

Why It Matters

Reflection is the bridge between experience and improvement. When educators and students take time to pause and think — What worked? What didn’t? What’s next? — that’s where ownership begins.
AI strengthens this process by making reflection visible and actionable. Tools like MirrorTalk, Riff, and SchoolAI help turn quick end-of-day thoughts into patterns and insights you can act on immediately. Instead of waiting for a formal evaluation or test, teachers and students can see growth unfolding in real time.

  • For students, AI reflection tools encourage metacognition — helping them set goals and track progress with feedback that feels personal.
  • For teachers, AI can summarize lesson data, highlight engagement trends, and generate prompts for deeper self-assessment.
  • For leaders, AI can analyze walkthrough notes and synthesize feedback, revealing strengths and next steps across classrooms.
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When reflection becomes part of your daily routine, AI helps ensure that every insight leads to action — turning feedback into forward motion.

Daily Challenge: ​Reflect, Refine, and Reset

Today’s challenge is simple: Use AI to reflect on the week — and set one clear goal for what comes next.
Choose a challenge that fits your role and available tools:
For Teachers: Try one of these quick reflection prompts using Brisk, ChatGPT, or MirrorTalk:
“Summarize what went well in this week’s lessons and what I’d adjust next time to increase engagement.”
“Based on my recent student data, what trends should I reflect on before planning next week’s instruction?”

Pro Tip: Use Brisk’s Lesson Analyzer or SchoolAI to generate trends from recent student work — then ask ChatGPT to turn those insights into an actionable next step.
For Students: Guide students to reflect using Riff or MirrorTalk:
“What challenged me most this week, and how did I handle it?”
“What goal do I want to set for next week based on what I learned?”

Extension: Have students record a 1-minute audio reflection in MirrorTalk — then review their AI summary to identify one growth goal for next week.
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For Principals or Coaches: Use SchoolAI, ChatGPT, or TeachFX to review patterns from recent observations or walkthroughs:
“Summarize the key instructional strengths and areas for growth across this week’s walkthroughs.”
“Based on classroom data, what one trend should we focus on as a leadership team next week?”
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Reflection Prompt: Use TeachFX to analyze teacher–student talk ratios, then discuss the findings with your leadership team.
End your week with a “Reflection Friday” moment.
Invite students, teachers, or your whole staff to share a one-sentence reflection:
“What’s one word or phrase that captures your learning or growth this week?”
Collect the responses in a shared Google Form or Padlet, then use an AI-powered generator (like WordClouds.com, Mentimeter, or MagicSchool’s AI Word Cloud Prompt) to visualize the most common themes.
The result? A living portrait of your learning culture — built from real reflections.
Pro Tip: Use the word cloud in Monday’s lesson or PLC to start the week with gratitude and focus. Ask, “What word do we want to see grow next week?”

Daily Download

Today’s free download is designed to help students, teachers, and leaders use AI to pause, reflect, and plan forward. Inside, you’ll find ready-to-use templates and guided prompts that make reflection part of your learning culture — not just a once-in-a-while task.
This toolkit includes:
✅ Student Reflection Journal – prompts and AI integration ideas to support goal setting and self-assessment
✅ Teacher Reflection Template – a structured guide for analyzing lessons, engagement, and data with AI
✅ Leadership Walkthrough Reflection Form – for principals or coaches to capture trends and generate actionable insights
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.

Bonus Prompts

Bonus Prompts for Day 26 — AI as a Reflection Tool
​
👩‍🏫 For Teachers
  • “Summarize key takeaways from my last two lessons on [topic] and suggest one instructional adjustment for next week.”
  • “Analyze my formative assessment data for patterns in student understanding and provide a reflection summary.”
  • “Create three reflective questions I can use at the end of a lesson to help students think about how they learned, not just what they learned.”
  • “Generate a short reflection statement I can include in my lesson plan about what worked and what to modify next time.”

🧑‍🎓 For Students
  • “Summarize what I did well this week and what I want to improve next week based on my recent assignments.”
  • “Generate reflection prompts that help me think about how I overcame challenges in my learning this week.”
  • “Review my goals from last week and write a two-sentence reflection on my progress.”
  • “Suggest a personal goal I can set for next week based on my math/reading scores.”

🧑‍💼 For Principals, Coaches, and Leaders
  • “Summarize this week’s walkthrough notes into three key instructional strengths and two opportunities for growth.”
  • “Analyze these teacher reflection notes and generate next steps for our next PLC discussion.”
  • “Create a short summary I can share with staff highlighting positive trends across classrooms this week.”
  • “Generate reflective questions I can use during post-observation conferences to encourage self-assessment.”

🌟 Universal Reflection Prompts (for anyone)
  • “Summarize the biggest ‘aha moment’ from this week and one area I can focus on to grow.”
  • “Create a reflection journal entry titled ‘What I Learned About Myself This Week.’”
  • “Generate a short gratitude list focused on moments of learning, teamwork, or growth.”
  • “Summarize all the reflections from this week into a paragraph I can share with my team or class newsletter.”

Next Steps

Keep Reflecting, Keep GrowingReflection is the heartbeat of growth — and AI can help you keep that rhythm steady.
Whether you’re using ChatGPT for lesson feedback, MirrorTalk for student voice, or SchoolAI for data trends, these moments of insight only matter if we turn them into action.
Ready to take the next step?
The AI in the Classroom Starter Kit is your guide to building sustainable, reflective, and AI-powered teaching practices. Inside, you’ll find:
  • Research-based frameworks for AI integration
  • Step-by-step lesson examples and reflection templates
  • 90-Day AI Action Plan to transform insights into impact
Start small, reflect often, and keep learning forward.
👉 Order your copy of the AI in the Classroom Starter Kit and continue your journey toward more purposeful, data-driven teaching.
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Day 25 - AI as a Collaborator

10/16/2025

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Collaboration is one of the most powerful drivers of learning — and AI can now become part of that process.
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Rather than working for students, AI can work with them: brainstorming ideas, managing timelines, capturing group discussions, and ensuring that every voice is heard.

In today’s challenge, we move beyond quick classroom tasks and explore how AI can serve as a project manager and collaborator for a long-term, student-driven project — the kind of authentic, interdisciplinary learning that could last an entire nine-week unit.
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Why It Matters

In every successful group project, students learn how to communicate, compromise, and co-create. But managing the moving parts of a long-term PBL — from setting goals to aligning standards and tracking progress — can be overwhelming.
That’s where AI steps in.
When used intentionally, AI can:
  • Help students generate and refine ideas aligned to standards
  • Build timelines and checklists that keep projects on track
  • Serve as a notetaker and synthesizer during team meetings
  • Support reflection and revision at every stage of the process
AI becomes the “fifth group member” — the one who organizes, summarizes, and remembers — while the humans stay focused on creativity and problem-solving.
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Setting the Stage: AI in a 9-Week Project.
​Imagine launching a PBL unit with an essential question like:
How can we design a community space that promotes wellness, connection, and sustainability?
Here’s how AI can support the project from start to finish:
Phase 1: Launch & Ideation
  • Students brainstorm ideas using Whimsical AI or Padlet.
  • AI helps organize messy thinking into mind maps or categories.
  • Example prompt: “Generate three potential project directions connected to our essential question and science standards.”
Phase 2: Research & Planning
  • Students record group discussions in Otter.ai — AI captures and summarizes key takeaways.
  • AI creates a shared project timeline and role assignments in Disco.ai or 360Learning.
  • Example prompt: “Create a 9-week project plan with milestones tied to state standards.”
Phase 3: Development & Creation
  • As students design prototypes or write reports, AI helps with structure, reflection, and revision.
  • AI can manage a running list of tasks, due dates, and reflections to maintain accountability.
Phase 4: Reflection & Presentation
  • AI summarizes meeting notes, suggests visuals, or drafts a presentation outline.
  • Students critique the AI’s version — asking, “What did it capture well? What’s missing from our perspective?”
Throughout the process, AI acts as a collaborator and project manager, ensuring continuity and progress.

Daily Challenge

Invite your students (or teacher team) to treat AI as a project manager and collaborator in a long-term learning experience.
Try this:
  1. Choose a PBL theme or unit you’re planning this semester.
  2. Use one of the AI tools above to:
    • Brainstorm and organize ideas
    • Generate a project plan with milestones
    • Record and summarize team discussions
    • Track reflections and deliverables
  3. Reflect on how AI supported your team’s workflow.
Ask your students:
  • How did AI help us stay organized or clarify our goals?
  • Did it bring up ideas we might have missed?
  • How can we use it to document our learning journey over time?
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Daily Download

AI as a Collaborator — Project Manager Toolkit
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.

Bonus AI Prompts

  • “Generate a project timeline with checkpoints aligned to [insert standards].”
  • “Summarize today’s group discussion into key takeaways.”
  • “Create a progress tracker for our class project.”
  • “Identify which standards align with our project goals.”
  • “Draft a reflection form to evaluate teamwork and AI collaboration.”

Next Steps: 

AI can’t replace the human side of learning — but it can amplify it.

As you build your next project, invite AI to take a seat at the table. Let it capture ideas, suggest timelines, and keep your learners moving forward together.
Because collaboration isn’t just about working in groups — it’s about creating shared meaning, and with AI as a partner, that shared meaning becomes deeper, clearer, and more sustainable.

Learn more about how to incopperate Project Based Learning and Higher Order Thinking Skills by purchasing the 12 Elements of Student Engagement and Ownership Field Guide. 
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Day 24 - AI as Creator

10/16/2025

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Turn ideas into reality with AI video creation tools like HeyGen.
Welcome to Day 24 of the 30-Day AI in the Classroom Challenge!
Today, we move from planning with AI to creating with it. Imagine giving your students the power to turn a written idea into a professional-quality video in minutes. ​With tools like HeyGen, learners can craft compelling narratives, present research, or bring historical figures to life — all while strengthening the essential skills of creating, communicating, collaborating, and critical thinking.
Creation is where learning becomes visible. When students design and produce AI-generated videos, they move beyond memorization and demonstrate a deeper understanding of content and standards. A well-designed video allows them to synthesize information, explain processes in their own words, and connect ideas across disciplines — showcasing mastery through authentic performance tasks rather than just traditional assessments.
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Why It Matters

Creating with AI isn’t “one more thing” to add to your lesson plan — it’s the Future Ready Studio activity that brings learning to life. During Learning Studios, students can develop and refine their videos over several consecutive days, using AI tools as creative partners in their learning journey.
This approach helps:
  • Authenticate learning by allowing students to apply their knowledge to real-world communication tasks.
  • Demonstrate mastery of standards through storytelling, explanation, and visual presentation.
  • Promote higher-order thinking as students plan, script, design, and evaluate their own work.
  • Build 21st-century skills — collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking — in a purposeful, engaging context.
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AI video creation empowers students to take ownership of their ideas and share them with authentic audiences. When learners use tools like HeyGen to create, they aren’t just learning about content — they’re using AI to show what they know.

Daily Challenge

This week’s theme--AI as Creator—invites students to move from consuming information to producing knowledge.Using HeyGen, students can transform written reflections, research, or explanations into short AI-generated videos that communicate understanding in creative and authentic ways.
Rather than seeing this as something extra to add, think of it as the Future Ready Studio activity built directly into your rotation model. Students can complete the project over two to three consecutive days of Learning Studios, moving through a purposeful creative process that mirrors higher-order thinking:
Challenge Steps for Students:
  1. Plan: Identify a concept, topic, or standard you’ve mastered this week.
  2. Write: Create a short script explaining or demonstrating your understanding.
  3. Create: Use HeyGen to generate a short video (30–60 seconds).
  4. Reflect: Share your video and write one sentence about how AI helped you communicate your learning.

Optional Extension:
Encourage students to develop an “AI Explainer Series.” Each week, they create one short video summarizing what they learned in a subject area — building a portfolio of understanding over time.
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Teacher Tip
​
If HeyGen is not available in your district, students can still apply their learning and showcase understanding through other creative video tools. The goal is to help students record their thinking and authentically demonstrate mastery of the standard during Learning Studios — not to focus on the tool itself.
Alternative Options:
  • 🎥 Padlet: Use the video post option to record short reflections or analyses.
  • 📽️ Canvas Studio: Have students upload or record videos directly within your LMS for easy feedback.
  • 🎬 Canva: Leverage the video presentation feature for students to narrate slides and explain their analysis.
  • 💻 WeVideo: Encourage full video editing for students who want to add visuals, background music, or text overlays.
No matter which platform you choose, the emphasis remains the same — students are creating to show what they know.

Daily Download

Your download includes:
  • Sample Studio setup guide for AI as Creator
  • Sample directions for students
  • Checklist for responsible AI use
  • Optional rubric for creativity and clarity
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.

Bonus AI Prompts

Try these prompts in your classroom or PD sessions:
  • “Generate a script for a 45-second video explaining why perseverance matters in learning.”
  • “Turn this paragraph into a friendly classroom news update.”
  • “Rewrite this research summary in the voice of a museum tour guide.”

Next Steps

Share your favorite HeyGen-powered student creation on social media using #AIintheClassroomChallenge and tag @MarciaKish.

Tomorrow, we move from creation to collaboration — exploring how AI can connect learners through shared ideas.

Enhance Student Engagement and Ownership by signing up for one of our workshops. 
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Day 23 – Using AI to Support the Deployment of Learning Studios

10/15/2025

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From Coaching Conversations to Classroom Transformation
By Day 23, you’ve seen how AI can streamline feedback, simplify formative assessments, and help teachers reflect on practice. Now, it’s time to move from talking about transformation to showing it in action.

Instructional coaches and administrators play a critical role in helping teachers move from theory to practice. One of the most powerful ways to do this is through the Learning Studio Model—a structure that makes personalized, data-driven instruction doable and visible.

AI can make this deployment faster, smarter, and more sustainable. When coaches and leaders use AI to model, co-plan, and co-teach studio lessons, they help teachers see how differentiation and ownership are possible—without adding hours of prep.
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Why It Matters

Launching Learning Studios can feel like a heavy lift for teachers—especially when they’re balancing data analysis, lesson design, and classroom management. Coaches and admins can use AI to turn that overwhelm into momentum by:
  • Transforming Data into Action:
Use SchoolAI, Brisk Teaching, or MagicSchool’s Small Group Generator to group students by skill level using recent formative data. Then, instantly generate small-group activities and reteaching prompts.
  • Building Quick Wins:
AI tools like QuestionWell AI, Curipod, and Diffit.me make it easy to create studio direction cards, differentiated handouts, and extension tasks in minutes—showing teachers that launching studios doesn’t require hours of prep.
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  • Modeling Efficiency:
When coaches demonstrate how AI can plan, print, and post a full studio setup (objectives, rotation chart, and student checklist) in under 15 minutes, it shifts teacher mindset from “I don’t have time for this” to “I can do this tomorrow.”
  • Driving Consistent Reflection:
Admin can use AI-powered observation forms or reflection prompts to collect quick data on how studios impact engagement, pacing, and student ownership—turning classroom snapshots into professional growth conversations. AI doesn’t replace teacher planning—it enhances it. It removes the guesswork so teachers can focus on what matters most: targeted small groups, student collaboration, and meaningful learning experiences.

Daily Challenge

1. Model a Studio Setup:
Use the AI tools --EduAide, MagicSchool, or ChatGPT—to generate four station activities aligned to one standard or skill.
→ Show teachers how to print direction cards or generate QR codes for each studio.
2. Use Data to Group Students:
Upload or describe formative assessment results into Grouper.school to quickly create purposeful small groups. Then, use an AI tool like EduAide, MagicSchool, or ChatGPT to generate lesson activities that meet each group where they are.
Remember—every student deserves small-group time.
  • High Group: Challenge students to extend their understanding by exploring how to enhance or apply the standard in new ways. AI can suggest enrichment tasks, problem-based extensions, or peer teaching roles.
  • On-Level Group: Reinforce and refine mastery through collaborative practice and formative feedback activities generated by AI.
  • Struggling Group: Revisit the concept using manipulatives, visuals, or step-by-step breakdowns of the skill. AI can simplify language, provide scaffolds, or create alternative examples to make the learning stick.
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By combining data from Grouper.school with AI-generated supports, coaches can model how to personalize instruction efficiently—proving that differentiation isn’t about doing more work; it’s about working smarter.
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3. Share the Quick Win:
During PLC or planning meetings, walk teachers through how the entire studio setup—activities, grouping, and checklists—was created in under 20 minutes using AI.
→ Bonus: Offer the generated materials as a ready-to-use classroom template or demonstration lesson.

Daily Download

Today’s download provides:
  • A Coach & Admin AI Deployment Playbook — step-by-step guidance for modeling and launching Learning Studios using AI tools like EduAide, MagicSchool, ChatGPT, and Grouper.school
  • Sample Prompts to generate studio activities, student direction cards, and differentiated small-group lessons based on student data
  • A Studio Grouping & Reflection Template — designed for quick data input, automatic group planning, and post-deployment reflections
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.

Bonus: AI Prompts

Use these ready-to-run prompts to model for teachers or in coaching conversations:
  • “Create a 4-station learning studio (Small Group, Independent Practice, Digital Content, Future Ready) for [grade/subject/topic]. Include clear directions and timing suggestions.”
  • “Based on this data [paste results], generate small-group focus skills and AI-powered reteach activities.”
  • “Design printable studio direction cards with clear steps and student reflection questions.”
  • “Generate a 15-minute debrief form for teachers to reflect on what worked and what to adjust after running their first studio rotation.”

Next Steps

When coaches lead with AI, teachers follow with confidence.
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Use today’s challenge to demonstrate how AI makes Learning Studios doable—not someday, but today.
Show how data, AI tools, and clear structure can create quick wins that grow into sustainable systems of personalized learning.

🔗 Explore the full 30 Day Challenge
📥 Purchase the AI In The Classroom Starter Kit 
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Day 22: AI + Formative Assessments That Drive Learning

10/14/2025

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Formative assessments are the heartbeat of effective instruction—they tell us, in real time, whether learning actually happened.
For instructional coaches and administrators, AI offers a powerful way to help teachers gather those insights faster and more effectively. By leveraging tools that make exit tickets, bell ringers, and small-group quick checks easy to create and analyze, we can help teachers adjust instruction, boost engagement, and ensure every student leaves the lesson with understanding.
AI doesn’t replace the professional judgment of a teacher—it amplifies it. With just a few clicks, AI can generate aligned formative questions, analyze patterns in responses, and surface which students need more support or challenge.
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Why It Matters

Formative assessments are more than just quick quizzes—they’re the engine of student growth. When used consistently, they:
  • Provide teachers with instant feedback on instructional effectiveness.
  • Encourage students to take ownership of their learning through reflection and self-checks.
  • Allow leaders and coaches to support data-driven conversations about teaching and learning.
By introducing AI-powered formative tools, coaches and administrators can help teachers move from guessing to knowing—how many students truly understood today’s concept? Which small group needs reteaching? What patterns do we see across classrooms or grade levels?
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Daily Challenge

Step 1: Choose one formative assessment focus area to model with your team:
  • Bell Ringer – Kick off the lesson with an AI-generated review question.
  • Exit Ticket – Use AI to create reflection or comprehension checks.
  • Small-Group Quick Check – Generate targeted questions aligned to today’s mini-lesson.
Step 2: Explore one of these AI tools and model how it can support teachers:
  1. Brisk – Generate and analyze writing feedback instantly.
  2. SchoolAI – Create formative checks and analyze learning data.
  3. Conker – Build quick comprehension or quiz checks in minutes.
  4. Curipod – Turn formative assessments into interactive class polls.
  5. QuestionWell – Generate tiered questions and exit ticket prompts.
  6. Khanmigo – Support formative reasoning and questioning within lessons.
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Step 3: Share the results at your next PLC or team meeting.
Show teachers how formative assessment data (from any of these tools) can reveal who got it, who almost got it, and who needs more time or support.

Daily Download

AI Formative Assessment Planner for Coaches
A printable and digital template that helps coaches and admin:
  • Select a formative focus (bell ringer, exit ticket, or small group check)
  • Choose the best AI tool for the task
  • Record quick “how many understood?” data snapshots
  • Plan next steps for reteaching or enrichment
(This planner helps teams connect daily classroom evidence to ongoing instructional decisions.)
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.

Bonus: AI Prompts for Coaches & Admin

  • “Generate three exit ticket questions for 5th grade math aligned to TEKS 5.3A.”
  • “Create a bell ringer to review yesterday’s lesson on ecosystems with a mix of recall and application.”
  • “Design a small-group quick check for students who struggled with today’s reading passage.”
  • “Draft a one-question reflection prompt teachers can use at the end of any lesson to measure engagement.”
  • “Create a rubric for scoring short formative writing responses.”

Next Steps

This week, challenge your teachers to test one AI-powered formative assessment in class.

At your next PLC, review together:
✅ Which format worked best (bell ringer, exit ticket, or quick check)?
✅ What did the data reveal about student understanding?
✅ How can those insights shape tomorrow’s instruction?

Formative assessments don’t have to be time-consuming—they just have to be consistent.

With the right AI tools, teachers can check for understanding every day, ensuring no student slips through the cracks.

​Grab a copy of the AI In the Classroom Starter Kit to Learn More. 
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Day 21: Coaching Data-Driven Small Groups with AI

10/9/2025

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Every classroom tells a story through data — from daily exit tickets to MAP Growth reports. But for many teachers, those numbers can feel overwhelming or disconnected from instruction. That’s where strong instructional leadership makes all the difference.
As coaches and administrators, our role isn’t just to collect data; it’s to model how to transform data into meaningful action for teachers. With the right systems — and a little AI support — we can help teachers turn spreadsheets into strategies, reports into relationships, and assessments into authentic learning opportunities.
Artificial Intelligence streamlines every step of the data cycle. It can synthesize MAP, formative, and summative data in minutes, identify trends across classrooms or grade levels, and even recommend small-group focuses aligned to specific TEKS or learning targets. Imagine walking into a PLC with instant insights: which skills need reinforcement, which students are ready to extend, and what strategies could close the gap — all generated in a few clicks.
By leveraging AI, instructional leaders can model how to use data as a tool for empowerment rather than evaluation. The result? Teachers gain confidence in grouping decisions, students receive just-right instruction, and every learner moves forward with clarity and purpose.
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Today’s challenge will show you how to bring it all together — combining your data expertise with AI-powered tools and prompts to create smarter, more strategic small groups that truly drive growth.

Why It Matters

Data without action is just noise. When coaches and admin model data-driven practices, teachers gain confidence to differentiate effectively and personalize instruction. AI can:
  • Summarize and visualize student data quickly.
  • Suggest grouping patterns aligned to standards or RIT ranges.
  • Generate lesson ideas and scaffolds for each group’s readiness level.
  • Track progress and adjust instruction dynamically.
With AI as your data partner, every assessment—MAP, exit ticket, or benchmark—becomes a roadmap for small-group success.
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Daily Challenge: 

Today’s Focus: Learn how to coach teachers through using MAP, formative, and summative data to build powerful, small-group instruction plans — safely and efficiently with AI.
Your Challenge:
🔹 Identify your data source — MAP RIT ranges, formative averages, or proficiency bands.
🔹 Analyze with AI (Safely) — Use summarized data (no names or exact scores) to identify instructional priorities.
🔹 Plan small-group rotations — Use the framework in today’s download to design 8–12 minute lessons that reteach, reinforce, or extend learning.
🔹 Model the process — During PLCs, demonstrate AI’s role in grouping and reflection.
📥 Download the “AI Small-Group Planner for Coaches” to access the full guide, sample prompts, reflection pages, and a ready-to-use planning template.
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Daily Download

“AI Small-Group Planner”
A ready-to-use template that guides coaches and teachers through:
  • Selecting and summarizing key data points (MAP, formative, summative).
  • Using AI prompts to identify instructional priorities.
  • Building rotation schedules and goal trackers.
  • Reflection prompts for progress monitoring.
Use it to walk your teachers step-by-step through turning data into actionable small-group plans.
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.

Bonus: AI Prompts for Coaches

  • “Create a 10-minute small-group plan for students scoring between 190–200 RIT on [standard]. Include an opening question, hands-on practice, and quick exit check.”
  • “From this formative data, identify the top 3 skills for reteaching and generate an anchor chart outline.”
  • “Summarize student trends across MAP and summative data in a one-paragraph data story for PLC discussion.”

Next Steps

Use today’s download during your next PLC or coaching session.
Show teachers how AI turns data into immediate instructional action — and watch their confidence (and student growth) rise.
​
Next Step:
Invite your team to join the Fall MAP Training Workshop or explore the AI in the Classroom Starter Kit chapter on Data-Driven Instruction for more tools, templates, and real-world examples.
The second-grade teachers from Emery Elementary are diving into a MAP Data Workshop with Marcia Kish!
They’re exploring how to analyze data, test out strategies for data-driven small groups, and use AI tools to differentiate instruction and meet every learner’s needs.
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Day 20: AI Tools for Coaches and Administrators

10/8/2025

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Empowering Educators Through Smarter Systems
As we move into the final stretch of the 30-Day AI in the Classroom Challenge, it’s time to shine the spotlight on the leaders behind the learning. Instructional coaches, principals, and district administrators play a crucial role in shaping how innovation happens across classrooms—and AI can be one of their most powerful partners.
From analyzing feedback and capturing meeting notes to organizing PD reflections and supporting teacher growth, AI can streamline the behind-the-scenes work that fuels instructional success. Today’s challenge explores AI tools designed to help education leaders work smarter, collaborate faster, and coach with precision.
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Why It Matters: 

Coaches and administrators often wear a dozen hats: mentor, data analyst, curriculum designer, motivator, and more. The administrative load can make it difficult to focus on what matters most—people.
​By integrating AI, you can automate tasks that drain your time and amplify the ones that drive transformation. Tools like 
NotebookLM, Otter.ai, and MagicSlides can:
  • Turn staff meetings into searchable transcripts and summaries.
  • Generate PD session notes, reflections, or next steps.
  • Organize teacher feedback by theme or growth area.
  • Create quick follow-up emails, PD slide decks, or coaching plans.
  • Capture and synthesize data from walk-throughs or learning rounds
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When AI supports your systems, you gain the bandwidth to focus on relationships, instructional impact, and campus culture.

Daily Challenge: 

Try one or more of these AI-powered strategies to simplify your coaching or administrative workflow:
✅ Record and Reflect:
Use Otter.ai or Fathom to record a coaching conversation, PLC, or leadership meeting. Let AI summarize next steps and highlight key themes.
✅ Synthesize Staff Input:
Upload teacher feedback or survey responses into NotebookLM to generate themes, trends, and next steps for upcoming PD or strategy sessions.
✅ Automate Your Follow-Up:
Ask ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude to draft a coaching summary email with “glows,” “grows,” and suggested next steps from your notes.
✅ Plan Smarter PD:
Use MagicSlides, Gamma, or SlidesGPT to instantly turn your notes or a PD outline into an engaging slide deck.
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Daily Download:

AI Coaching Toolkit for Leaders
Today’s free download includes:
  • A Coaching Conversation Template (with AI prompt suggestions for follow-up reflection)
  • A Meeting Summary Framework (ready to use with Otter.ai or NotebookLM)
  • A PD Planning Template with prompts for ChatGPT or Gemini to help design session outcomes, slide decks, and agendas
💡 Pair this with Chapter Five of the AI in the Classroom Starter Kit, where we explore how leaders can use AI to foster innovation and efficiency campus-wide.
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.

Bonus Prompts: 

Use these ready-to-go prompts to make your leadership workflow even more efficient:
1️⃣ Coaching Summary Prompt:
“Summarize this transcript into three sections: glows, grows, and next steps for teacher follow-up.”
2️⃣ PD Planning Prompt:
“Design a 45-minute professional learning session on using data-driven instruction. Include objectives, an agenda, and interactive elements.”
3️⃣ Staff Feedback Synthesis Prompt:
“Analyze this staff survey feedback and identify 3 major themes, 2 challenges, and 3 potential action steps.”
4️⃣ Meeting Recap Prompt:
“Generate a bulleted recap email summarizing this leadership meeting, including key decisions, assigned tasks, and deadlines.”

Next Steps: 

AI isn’t just transforming classrooms—it’s revolutionizing leadership.
When coaches and administrators embrace AI, they model innovation and empower their teams to do the same.
🔗 Explore Day 20 of the Challenge
Visit AIintheClassroom.com to download today’s free resource and explore tools designed to help educational leaders automate, analyze, and amplify their impact.
​

📘 Dive Deeper with the AI in the Classroom Starter Kit
This step-by-step guide helps educators, coaches, and leaders harness AI to streamline tasks, personalize learning, and build future-ready systems on campus.
Instructional Coach Marco from Lamar High School has been exploring the AI in the Classroom Starter Kit.
“I’m loving the visuals and real examples,” he shared. “These ideas will help me support my teachers and make our coaching process more efficient.”
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    Author

    Marcia Kish is a Blended Learning Specialist, Instructional Coach, and author of The 12 Elements of Student Engagement and Ownership Field Guide, dedicated to helping educators create dynamic, student-centered classrooms.

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